Beneath Summer Stars
by Kitsune Moonstar
Summary: AU.  The first time they met neither Shunsui and Nanao met neither knew how important it was.  They didn't even know each other's names.
1. Summer Fun

Author's Note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and in honor of Shunsui and Nanao's birthdays.

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><p><strong>Summer Fun<strong>

The first time they met neither knew how important it was. She didn't know who he was. Nanao wasn't exactly lost nor was she abandoned. She had been momentarily forgotten by her older sister and her friends. Shunsui did know who she was, but he only realized it in hindsight. It was Tanabata, and a warm summer night. Hiroshima's festival this year was one of the biggest of the summer, and it would have been easy to lose sight of a young girl eight years of age.

Nanao had lagged behind her sister for a few minutes in order to catch her breath. She was enjoying both the festival and her birthday very much, but her energy was flagging slightly. That was how she had ended up alone on the bench. Shunsui had just slipped away from his friends to give Jyuushiro and Retsu a moment alone. Almost eighteen, he was enjoying the break from his studies. He had started university this spring, and while he was enjoying it, it was also more work that he had really expected.

He had not been looking for companionship, but when he sat down next to a little girl on the bench in a pale violet yukata, he found it anyway. She was just a little wisp of a thing, but her indigo eyes were sharp and intelligent.

"Out enjoying the festival alone, sweetheart?"

She gave him a sharp glance. "No, and I'm not your sweetheart. I'm here with my sister and her friends."

"Ah." Shunsui leaned back against the bench. "Beautiful night, isn't it? They thought it was going to rain last week. I'm just as glad it didn't. The festival is much more fun when everything isn't soggy."

Her lips quirked up in a small smile at that. Shunsui grinned back at her. The little girl was not quite what he had expected. Shunsui had dealt with children before. Between his cousins and his nieces and nephews there were quite a number of them in his family. But this one was remarkably poised and self contained for one so young. He would guess that she was slightly older than she looked. She was definitely going to grow up to be a beauty. Her short raven hair and indigo eyes shading towards violet didn't quite suit her face yet, but she would grow into them. But it was her intelligence and sense of humor that really struck him.

"That and of course, Orihime and Hikoboshi couldn't meet if it wasn't clear. Which is rather dumb of them. You would think that after a couple of years they could figure something else out. If they really loved one another that much, wouldn't they both risk everything to be together? What's a little water in the face of that? Are they afraid they'll melt?"

He laughed at the tartness in her reply. He had to admit he agreed with her. The story as it was typically told did offend his romantic sensibilities to a point as well. "Judicious editing on the part of someone I expect. So that love is the reward for hard work and being dutiful. As if love actually worked that way. I'm sure the original story was much more interesting."

She just wrinkled her nose. "Every single version I've ever seen is syrupy sweet and without any substance."

"So what's your favorite fairytale then?"

She considered the question, her face grave. "Tam Lin, I think. Maybe East of the Sun, West of the Moon."

Shunsui was a little surprised by her choices. Neither were Japanese fairytales, nor were they commonly known Western ones. At least in his experience. And that was how Shunsui ended up in a discussion about folklore with a little girl who was surprisingly knowledgeable about the subject. The conversation carried on up until her stomach made a faint growling noise. She blushed. Shunsui just smiled. There was a line of food stalls just a stone's throw away from them.

"I could use a snack too." He held out a hand to her. "Come on."

Normally, Nanao would have never accepted the offer. She was smarter than that. However, she truly believed that this man meant her no harm, and if worst came to worst, she did know a thing or two about getting away from strangers. She didn't know why he'd spent the last twenty minutes chatting with a little girl, but she enjoyed the fact that he took her seriously, and it had been a very enjoyable conversation. She slid her hand into his. Ten minutes later the pair of them returned to their bench laden with goodies to nibble on. Her companion had insisted on paying for it all despite the fact that Nanao did have money with her. They settled back on the bench, and he decided to turn their conversation from fairytales to storytelling. Or rather, he told her stories, and Nanao added commentary. Sometimes it was just opinion, but sometimes it was a comment (sarcastic or not) that he then incorporated into the story.

She had to admit that he was quite the storytelling. Nanao easily got caught up in the tales he told, and she was at turns in suspense, delight, and giggles. He had just ended yet another story when a new crowd of people arrived in the area, and Nanao recognized a familiar voice. It was time for her to go.

"That's my sister." She smiled at him. "Good night."

She disappeared into the crowd without giving Shunsui a chance to see just who she was meeting. Nanao returned home that night with lovely memories of her birthday. Shunsui returned to university after his summer break and changed his major from pre-law to literature.


	2. Summer Sorrow

Author's Note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and in honor of Shunsui and Nanao's birthdays.

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><p><strong>Summer Sorrow<strong>

They met next the summer after Shunsui had graduated from college and under much more solemn circumstances. Oddly enough, it was around the same date. Shunsui knew who she was from the start this time: his friend Lisa's younger sister. Well, Nanao Ise was Lisa's half sister, but Lisa had never cared about that particular distinction. The only reason he was in Hiroshima at all was because of Lisa's funeral. Lisa Yadomaru, a newly minted police officer, had been gunned down by a gang leader two weeks ago, and now her family and friends were laying her to rest.

Lisa's death had blindsided almost everyone who knew her, and for Shunsui who had considered her a surrogate sister, the grief was deep. Especially given the missed call on his cell phone from her just an hour before she had been killed. He kept wondering if he hadn't missed that call if things would be different. Quite honestly, Shunsui wouldn't have noticed Nanao this time if she hadn't stood out so much. Nanao was the youngest person at the funeral, and unlike most of the attendees, she was dressed in a kimono instead of a Western suit. That was probably the doing of the matronly grandmother who had clutched the girl's hand throughout the service. The dark haired girl wearing glasses and a black kimono made quite an image standing beside the grave.

Afterwards at the gathering held by the family, Shunsui caught sight of her sitting in a corner alone. She was the only one underage at the gathering, and things had already devolved into drunkenness for the most part. Shunsui was not drunk, however, and it seemed like a shame to him that she would be so isolated and alone. Lisa's death hurt, and none of them should have to deal with that grief alone. That's why they were here this evening, and Nanao shouldn't be left out just because she was younger than the rest of them.

So Shunsui loaded up a plate of food as a peace offering and made his way over to her corner. Nanao looked up, startled, when he sat down beside her, and Shunsui found that she had a rather thick novel concealed in her lap.

"Good book?"

She wrinkled her nose at him. "It was an interesting idea, but the execution has been poor so far. I don't think it will redeem itself before the end. Or even at the end."

It was not the response Shunsui had expected from an eleven year old. Still, he hadn't been a literature major for nothing. If there was one thing he knew how to talk about, it was stories. He set the plate down between them.

"Where did the author go wrong?"

Fifteen minutes later, they were engrossed in one of the best discussions about storytelling that Shunsui had had in months. Nanao might be young and she might not have the exact vocabulary to professionally articulate what she thought, but she understood stories and she knew what didn't work in them. As it turned out, the book she was reading was a fairy tale adaptation of Tam Lin set in modern day England. Nanao liked the idea and some of the characters, but she found the structure of the story confusing. She also didn't like wishy-washiness of the heroine. Shunsui could see that. The herione's stubbornness had been one of her defining characteristics in the original folktale.

Somehow the topic changed from what the book had done to what they would do with the story if they had been writing it. Shunsui found himself truly enjoying himself. This was what he was really interested in. He had an editing job at a publishing house, yes, but it was how stories were built and putting them together that really fascinated him. Nanao herself was fascinating in the way she looked at stories. She offered him a number of perspectives and ideas that he hadn't come close to thinking about before, and it wasn't long before Shunsui was jotting down things she said in the little notebook he carried around with him.

And Nanao found herself relaxing for the first time in weeks, ever since she had woken up the day after her birthday to find that her older sister was dead. Lisa might not have entirely understood her love of books, but her older sister had been the only one in the family that had ever been willing to listen to Nanao talk about books. To have someone who was not only willing to listen to her but also wanted to talk about books with her was wonderful. And she liked that her sister's friend didn't treat her like she was a little kid. Yes, she was young, but she knew what she was talking about when it came to this subject. It was the nicest thing that had happened since her sister had died.

The gathering lasted long into the evening. Shunsui spent most of it talking with Nanao, taking only a few breaks to refill their drinks and their plate of snacks. A couple of times they were joined a few of the others present, but for the most part the two of them were left alone by the others. When the funeral gathering finally broke up close to midnight, it was Shunsui who found a taxi cab for a sleepy Nanao and her inebriated grandmother and made sure that they got home all right. He had even paid for the ride despite Nanao's protests. Shunsui had waited until an exhausted Nanao locked the door of the house behind her before giving the taxi driver directions to his hotel.

He returned to Kyoto the next as he'd originally planned. But once Shunsui had reached his apartment, he pulled a box out of his closet. From it he pulled a collection of notebooks, loose pages, napkins, and other things he'd written on. Pulling out his laptop, Shunsui set to work.


	3. Passing Summers

Author's Note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and in honor of Shunsui and Nanao's birthdays.

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><p><strong>Passing Summers<strong>

It took Shunsui a year of working weekends and holidays to get the rough draft done. He spent his entire vacation camped out at Jyuu's place in Matsue working on it. Then it took another entire year to turn that rough draft into something he could submit to an agent or a publisher. Shunsui loved every minute of it. He was pretty sure he had hated a number of those minutes as well, but then writing did that to him. So two summers after Lisa's funeral, Shunsui sent off multiple copies of the manuscript. Then he started working a new one.

Most of his friends thought he was a little crazy. Of course, that had been a commonly held opinion before this, so it really wasn't much of a change. And besides the constant, rather obsessive writing, Shunsui hadn't changed much. He still slacked off at work most of the time, had a fondness for bar crawls, and flirted with most women. But writing had also taken up a large part of his life as well, and he liked it better than just about anything else he'd done. Creating stories was interesting and a challenge, and it was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

Nanao in the meantime had thrown herself into two things: her schoolwork and books. She had always been an intelligent child, but even those who had realized it were rather blown away when she really began to apply herself. Not that she hadn't been applying herself before, but now there was a new intensity to it. Books had always been an escape for Nanao as well, but now she wasn't just reading them. Nanao had managed to get the local library to let her volunteer there, despite the fact that she was two years younger than they typically allowed. The staff had started her out with simple things like shelving books. Within a year, she could do almost every task in the library, including the ones that were typically only for paid staff. Within two years, the library staff didn't know how they had managed without her.

Shunsui had just finished the rough draft of his next novel when the news came. It was a sunny summer day when he learned that his first novel would be published. It also threw his normal schedule into chaos, and it took longer to edit that rough draft than he'd planned. Still, when the next summer rolled around, _Crossing Starry River_appeared on shelves in bookstores, and Shunsui had submitted the manuscript for his next novel to his new agent, Rangiku Matsumoto. And despite the craziness of the book tour, Shunsui managed to get started on his third novel.

_Crossing Starry River_, a modern story loosely based on the Tanabata myth, was the break out novel of the year. Critics and readers alike fell in love with the heroine, Hoshi, a young professional dancer and her beloved Hikaru as they struggled to make a relationship work in the face of a demanding career and controlling parents. It was a story of love conquering all, and almost everyone who read it loved it. The dedication of the book read _To my own star who provided a guiding light_ and caused quite a stir. And everyone was looking forward to Shunsui's next book.

It was Nanao's new favorite book when she read it. She had checked it out from the library, but within a week, she had gone out and bought her own copy of the hardcover. The fourteen year old still adored fairytales, and this adaptation fixed many of the problems that she'd had with the original. She recognized Shunsui's name and felt pleased that she had actually met the author. It was also that summer that one of the librarians suggested to Nanao that she might think about a career in library science. Nanao had already been skipped a year ahead in school to provide a better challenge to her, so thinking about college and careers wasn't that surprising. By this point, Nanao was a well known feature at the library. She was the one that both parents and children went to when looking for books, and even her peers knew that if you needed a book for an assignment, you went to Nanao in order to find one that wouldn't drive you crazy. The teenager was practically running one of the library's book groups, and everyone thought it would be a good fit for her.

His next book came out a year later and received as much success and praise as his first. By this point, Shunsui had been able to quit his day job and write full time. It had been an interesting period of adjustment, but Shunsui had to admit that he liked the schedule much better. It was nice to be able to take naps whenever he wanted to and not worry about being caught working on his novel at work. And having more time in the day to work on his writing was great. It didn't stop his rather obsessive writing habits, like scribbling scene on cocktail napkins when he was out for drinks, but it did make getting manuscripts done easier.

When _Chasing Stars_ came out, Shunsui had already submitted a third novel and was working on a fourth. While _Chasing Stars _was rather different than _Crossing Starry River _(it was a modern fantasy complete with fighter planes, curses, and true love), it met with just as much success. The tale of Kara, a brash young pilot, on a quest to rescue her love that had been stolen was a hit. Shunsui had based this novel loosely on East of the Sun, West of the Moon, and while maybe not all of his readers caught that fact, many did and were delighted. _Chasing Stars_ publication also heralded another change. Shunsui moved out of his little apartment in Kyoto and into a slightly larger. There were two reasons for the move. One had been that he had always really needed a bigger place. The other was the fact that people (mostly fans of his books) had started showing up on his doorstep, and that was distracting him from his writing.

Nanao loved _Chasing Stars _almost as much as Kyoraku's first book. She would be hard pressed to choose a favorite between the two of them. This time she didn't wait. She bought the hardcover version the moment it came out. She found the dedication a little odd though. It had read _To my star – thanks for the ideas to chase_. He had dedicated his last book to his star (whoever or whatever that was) too. Besides adding _Chasing Stars_ to her favorite books, the only major thing on Nanao's horizon was the fact that she was now slated to graduate from high school early. That meant that it was time to start really thinking about where she might want to go to college. Nanao was still volunteering at the library, around five days a week at this point. She would have been there more days, but she had also been convinced to join the school swim team, and that took up some of her time now. Her schedule was pretty full, but despite this, Nanao was happy.

By the time that Shunsui's third novel, _Won't Let Go_, was published, he was bona fide reclusive celebrity author. He was always popular and well received when he did interviews and made appearances, but for the most part he stayed out of the spotlight when not promoting a book. _Won't Let Go_ continued his trend of bestsellers. Its release had been highly anticipated. It was yet another adapted fairytale. Shunsui liked working with them. They had so much potential, and given that one of his areas of intrest during his college career had been folklore and mythology, he had quite a bit of material he could draw on. This time around he's chosen to work with Tam Lin. It had not escaped Shunsui's notice that all three of his novels were based on the first three stories he'd chatted about with Nanao Ise that summer night when they'd met at the Tanabata festival. There was a reason that all three books were dedicated to her.

If it hadn't been for the two conversations he'd had with Nanao, Shunsui rather doubted that he would have become an author. He owed her for that. Besides, Nanao had very good taste in fairytales. He had to admit that this had been his favorite novel to write so far. It was another modern fantasy, and Shunsui had really gotten attached to the characters. It had been something of a let down when he'd finished the book. However, he'd started another project rather quickly, and that one was now awaiting approval from the publishing company. He'd just started work on the draft for his fifth novel when _Won't Let Go_ came out, and there were rumors about interests in the movie rights for his earlier works.

The summer _Won't Let Go_ came out, Nanao was a little stressed. It was her last year of high school, and she was busy both with the actual schoolwork and with figuring out college. She knew what she wanted to study, but she was having trouble finding the right fit of schools. It didn't help that she was making most of the arrangements on her own. Well, she had the support of her teachers and the library staff, but since her sister had died, there hadn't been much support from home. Not that there had ever been much support from anyone other than Lisa, so with her gone that rather made sense. The new book by her favorite author had been a wonderful escape, and Nanao quickly found that the heroine on this one, Emer, was one of her all time favorite characters.

When _In Plain Sight _came out as Shunsui's fourth book, it came at the same time as a number of changes in his life. For one thing, he moved away from Kyoto. That in part had something to do with his best friend. Jyuu had finally married Retsu in the last year, and Retsu had opened a pediatrics practice in Hiroshima. After a nearly a year of living in a different city from his closest friends, Shunsui had decided he wanted a change. Besides, Jyuu had called him with news that Retsu was pregnant, and his friend would need some one to commiserate with through the pregnancy, and someone had to spoil that kid rotten. It wasn't like there was anything vastly important tying him to Kyoto. It was just the city he'd gone to college in and where he'd lived since. Yes, his agent Rangiku Ichimaru was here, but most of their contact was through phone and email anyway.

So he'd relocated to an apartment in Hiroshima. It had put him slightly behind schedule for his new book tour, but Shunsui really didn't care much. _In Plain Sight_ was doing fine. Like _Crossing Starry River_, it was a fairytale set in the modern day. Revolving around Airi, a young chef hiding from her past, and a well known young businessman, Atsushi who was starting a restaurant, it was an immediate hit. Furthermore, both _Crossing Starry River_ and _Chasing Stars_ would both be turned into movies in the next few years, though by different studios. Shunsui knew that next summer his fifth novel would most likely be coming out. He'd been a little later than normal with getting it submitted. All in all, life was good, even if Jyuushiro had started to tease him about finding a nice girl and settling down.

University was utterly delightful to Nanao, if a little overwhelming at times. At seventeen, she was the youngest person in all of her classes, but she didn't really care. She had a part time job working in the university library, and she was enjoying all of her classes so far. The only major drawback to her mind was the fact that she now had very little time for pleasure reading. She didn't read much anymore that wasn't for a class. But when _In Plain Sight _came out, Nanao made time to read that. Though she didn't know that her favorite coffee shop in Kyoto where she read most of the book was the same place where Shunsui had worked on many of his other novels.

_Falling and Flight_ was Shunsui's fifth novel, and when it came out he was immersed in his next project already. Sort of. He was struggling a little more with this newest project than he had with his other novels. To be fair though, the newest manuscript he was working on was something new for him, and it was turning out to be a bit of a challenge. But Shunsui had been doing that more lately with his writing. Take _Falling and Flight_ for example. Until that particular novel, Shunsui had stuck with focusing on two main characters with some supporting cast. But he'd felt that _Falling and Flight _needed something more, and so along with Riella and Westley (his original main characters for the story), Mira and Connor took center stage. That was probably why it was his longest book to date. This time around he'd based the story on The Wild Swans. It was fairytale that had always intrigued him. This one had turned out to be another modern fantasy despite Shunsui's intentions to write a straight modern tale.

He wasn't sure what his latest project would turn into. It had already turned out to be more complex than he'd expected, and while it was taking longer to write than normal, Shunsui rather thought it worth it. Actually getting the story down was definitely a challenge, but he liked it and his characters too much not to try. Other than that, his life these days was quite ordinary. He worked on his book. He occasions did interviews, appearances, and book tours. He babysat Kiyomi Ukitake, his goddaughter, whenever he got the chance. The filming for _Crossing Starry River_ was finishing up (not that he was actually involved much in that), and the movie would come out within a year or so. All in all, Shunsui was content with his life.

Finding the time to curl up and read _Falling and Flight_ proved to be difficult for Nanao. She was busy. University was still wonderful, but when she wasn't in class or studying or working on assignments, she was working. Nanao had managed to land herself in a fast track program with library science. It made things a little more hectic than normal though. She was doing some preliminary course work for the graduate program, and if she was lucky, she'd get in internship in a public library in a year or so. So _Falling and Flight _joined her collection of Kyoraku's books, and Nanao didn't actually get around to reading it until the summer was almost over. The wait was well worth it though. Nanao practically fell into the story. She spend an entire day reading it, skipping lunch without realizing it. It might not be her absolute favorite of Kyoraku's works, but she still loved it and to be fair, at this point her top five favorite novels had been written by Kyoraku. Figuring out the order of those top five was almost always next to impossible, and Nanao couldn't wait for his next book.


	4. Summer Reunion

Author's Note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and in honor of Shunsui and Nanao's birthdays.

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><p><strong>Summer Reunion<strong>

Shunsui didn't have another book published until two years after _Falling and Flight _came out. The movie version of _Crossing Starry River_ had come out in the meantime, and it had met with much success. It had also led to more offers from movie studios to turn his books into movies and made the upcoming release of the movie version of _Chasing Stars _one of the most highly anticipated upcoming releases. Shunsui had let Rangiku deal with all of that. He had been more focused on his writing. His sixth book, entitled _Holding Strong_, had been more of a challenge than he'd expected. Of course, he'd given himself eight main characters to work with and a highly complex story with multiple subplots. _Holding Strong_ had ended up being his longest novel to date, and it had taken him twice as long to write than any of the others.

_Holding Strong_ had been based on the tale The Four Gallant Sisters. It was a story that Shunsui had always found fascinating, and he hadn't been able to resisting turning it into a novel. Of course, it did present him with a number of problems. For one thing, the story centered around four sisters, and Shunsui found that he couldn't just pick one and focus on her. So he was juggling four characters and then threw in their love interests. Shunsui had done his best to limit the supporting cast for the story, but _Holding Fast _was definitely the most epic thing he had written to date. But he couldn't help himself. And eventually, he'd gotten the story done. Shunsui wasn't sure if it was his favorite thing that he'd ever written, but he liked the way it turned out, and he was proud that he'd stuck with the story long enough to finish it.

The book came out a month after _Chasing Stars_ opened in theaters. It was an instant success. There had been comments from critics leading up to the novel's release about the length of time it had taken and would it be up to Shunsui's normal standards. However, _Holding Strong_ surpassed everyone's expectations. It sold even better than _Won't Let Go_ which had been Shunsui's second most popular novel until now. Rangiku leapt on the opportunity, and Shunsui soon found himself spending his entire summer shuttling around the country from event to event. It irked Shunsui to an extent. Some of the events were fun, but many of them were tedious. Besides, it took time away from his writing. A number of ideas had needed to be put on hold while he was working on _Holding Fast_, and now Shunsui was making up for lost time. He'd already finished one new manuscript and was now hard at work on another. But it was part of being an author, and he dealt with it the best he could, stealing moments to write whenever he could.

To say Nanao was upset that Kyoraku didn't have a new book come out the year after _Falling and Flight_ would be a mistake. She was a bit disconcerted, but she had other things to deal with, and rereading Kyoraku's books was almost as satisfying as reading them the first time. University was busy. Nanao had continued to take her academics at an accelerated pace. She would graduate early at this rate and catapult straight into her graduate studies. She still had her part-time job at the university's library, and she placed at a public library for an internship the spring before _Holding Strong _came out.

Nanao had finished all of her basic requirements for her degree now, and her classes were either specific for her major or prepping her for grad school. She didn't necessarily enjoy all of them, but they were all proving to be useful, and more than once she'd applied things from her classes to her internship or vice versa. This term Nanao was especially enjoying one of her literature classes. Her final paper topic for it had inspired her, and soon Nanao was organizing a book group at her branch. Each month the group would read a different fairytale adaptation along with the original fairytale as well.

She had struggled with picking which fairytales to use and which adaptations. It wasn't like her paper (looking at what changes were made when fairytales were adapted to novels) where the more titles you had the better. While Nanao didn't mind reading thirty to forty books, that was impractical to ask of a book group. Nanao tried to choose a wide variety of tales and adaptations for the group, not just her own personal favorites, but somehow, five of the twelve books chosen for the group had been written by Shunsui Kyoraku. The book group had started at the end of April, and it turned out to be quite a success. While she only had six people show up for the first meeting, the numbers had increased by the second meeting. By June, she had a dozen regular book group members and a handful of other who showed up off and on.

Despite the fact that much of the staff had been skeptical of Nanao when she had first been placed at her branch, they couldn't deny that she got good results. The group was considered quite a success for a mere library intern, but Nanao did have almost as much public library experience as many of the staff at this particular branch. True, much of it had been when she was a teenager, but it definitely made a difference. Nanao was enjoying the book group as well. The preparation and promotion for the group was hard work at times, but reading at least one fairytale adaptation a month and then discussing with others wasn't really a burden.

As Nanao was preparing for the July meeting of the book group, one of the librarians at her branch mentioned that Shunsui Kyoraku would be doing a reading and a book signing for _Holding Strong_ at the central branch of the library. The book group was reading _Crossing Starry River_ for July, and Nanao decided to see if she could get Kyoraku to come to the book group meeting. It was worth trying anyway. She wrote a brief letter and sent it to the address she'd gotten from the librarian coordinating the main event. Nanao hadn't mentioned their previous connection in her letter. She had thought it rather cheap, and she would rather he came because he wanted to than because he felt obligated to.

What Nanao did not know was that Shunsui wasn't actually the one who got letters like that. They all went to his agent, Rangiku. However, Rangiku thought it was a great idea. She knew that Shunsui preferred the smaller events where he could really interact with his fans, and this seemed perfect. So she set it up for him and added it to their schedule for Kyoto. The only thing Shunsui really knew about the event was that it was at a public library and it was on Tanabata. Other than that, he was rather in the dark.

Tanabata turned out to be rather crazy for Nanao. She was utterly thankful she had no classes that day. However, she managed to get to the library an hour and a half before the book group would start. It took her less than twenty minutes to get the conference room they used set up, and that gave Nanao some free time. Kyoraku was supposed to show up a half hour before the group started, but Nanao still had some time for a brief rest, and it was her birthday after all. She had finally found the time to pick up her copy of _Holding Strong_ today, and she had been itching to start reading it most of the day. It didn't take her long at all to be absorbed into the world the book created.

Shunsui was running late. This was a rather normal state of things for him. He had supposed to have been at the library fifteen minutes ago. He was quickly directed to the room where the event would be by a librarian with a disapproving look. He was expecting to have to apologize to another librarian who disapproved of his tardiness. What Shunsui did not expect to find a pretty young woman in an indigo yukata pattern with fireflies curled up in a chair with his latest book. And he certainly didn't expect to recognize her. But he knew who she was the moment he saw her. She really couldn't be anyone else. Either that or fate was being particularly cruel to him.

"Nanao-chan?"

She started and looked up from her book.

"Mr. Kyoraku? I didn't realize you were here yet." Then she frowned. "You're late."

Shunsui laughed. "I got lost trying to get here. It's been awhile since I've been in Kyoto. What are you doing here?"

She shrugged slightly, marking her place in the book. "I'm an intern here. I run this book group."

He glanced down at the book in her hands. "Do you like it."

"I'm only on the third chapter."

"That doesn't mean you don't have an opinion. I've always wondered if you read my books," he admitted. "And if you liked them."

Nanao blinked at that. "Why?"

Shunsui smiled at her. "Well, you are the reason I became an author. I probably wouldn't have gone down that path if it hadn't been for those two conversations with you."

Nanao blushed. Shunsui found it utterly charming. Flustered, Nanao changed the subject.

"People should be arriving soon. Normally, we just introduce ourselves, I give some background on the book and the fairytale we're discussing, and then we jump straight into group discussion. You're welcome to join in that. We'll be stopping the group discussion early today, so the group can ask you some questions." She tucked the book into a bag beneath her chair. "We've got drinks and refreshments, and you're welcome to help yourself to them. The group typically meets for about two hours."

She rose to her feet. "Do you have any questions?"

"What book are we discussing?" He shrugged at her look. "My agent didn't tell me. I swear she likes to send me unprepared into these things on purpose."

Nanao smiled. "_Crossing Starry River_. Feel free to make yourself comfortable. I'm just going to just go check a few things before people start arriving."

He watched her leave the room. He had been right. Nanao Ise had grown into beautiful young woman. And she was just as sharp and intelligent as ever. She was probably attending university here in Kyoto given she'd her internship placement. He had lost touch with her in the years since Lisa had died. They had never actually been that close despite the fact that in their two previous meetings they had gotten along swimmingly. This time Shunsui wasn't planning on loosing touch with her. Nanao had always been something special, and Shunsui wasn't about to let her just slip away. There was a reason every single one of his books so far had been dedicated to her.

It was not long before memebers of the book group began arriving and the session started. Shunsui was impressed with the skill Nanao displayed running the group. She clearly knew her material as she introduced the book and the fairytale. She also had a deft hand at running the actual discussion, knowing when and how to cut some people off and how to encourage others to speak up. He enjoyed the evening quite a bit. He always liked getting real feedback on his writing, and while the group had been a little anxious and nervous in his presence at the start, they seemed to have quickly have been distracted from the fact he was the author of the book they were discussing.

The question and answer session proved interesting as well. Shunsui got a number of the standard dumb questions he always got like "Are you single?" and "Why does it take so long for you to write a new book?", but he also got some interesting ones as well about the writing process, research, and the actual novels themselves.

"I noticed that in _Crossing Starry River _you changed some of the details of the story. Why didn't you let things play out like they did in the original story?" That question came from the same woman who had asked if Shunsui was single.

Shunsui briefly glanced at Nanao and then smiled at the woman. "Someone once told me that if Orihime and Hikoboshi were really in love, they wouldn't let a little water get in their way. I agreed with that idea, but that meant I had to give my versions of them something more difficult than a river to keep them apart."

Nanao smiled and ducked her head slightly. Shunsui didn't think anyone noticed. Before the group wrapped up for the night, Shunsui signed any personal copies of his books that people had brought. He found himself lingering as Nanao tidied up the room. He wasn't ready to leave her presence yet, and luckily he had an excuse. Nanao was dressed as if she was planning on going to the festival tonight, and since Shunsui didn't have any other obligations or plans for tonight, he was planning on inviting himself along. Besides, he was pretty sure that tonight also happened to be Nanao's birthday.

It did take a little convincing for Nanao to agree to let him come along, but Shunsui managed. Together the two of them wandered along booth lined streets, occasionally stopping to try out a game or to sample some of the food. Shunsui had been right: it was Nanao's birthday tonight, and he kept an eye out for some sort of little gift he could find for her. Once again their conversation turned to fairytales, and Shunsui learned that Nanao was a literature major with an emphasis on folklore and mythology and that she was already doing prep work for a library science graduate program. Eventually their discussion turned to Shunsui's novels.

To his delight, Shunsui found that not only had Nanao read every single one of his novels, but she had liked them all too. It was clear that her favorites were _Chasing Stars _and _Falling and Flight_. The two of them spend most of the evening discussing books in general and his specifically. They made a supper of food from the various booths at the festival, and Shunsui managed to surreptitiously buy a carved little hair comb for her. It was a simple piece, carved with dogwood blossoms, but he rather thought she would like it.

It was easily the best evening he'd had in a long time. Shunsui felt completely at ease with Nanao, and she was an entirely engaging companion. She just fit with him in a way that no one else ever had. It was thirty minutes past midnight when they finally meandered their way back to Nanao's apartment. Nanao invited him in with a shy smile and offered him a cup of tea while he waited for the taxi that would take him back to his hotel. While she fixed the tea, Shunsui wandered around her living room. It did not take him long to find her collection of his books, all neatly lined up in order of publication. They were all hardcovers and clearly well read. Shunsui had an idea.

He left her apartment that evening with Nanao's contact information neatly written on a scrap of paper tucked in his pocket. She had blushed when he had asked for it and kissed his cheek when he left. Shunsui had no intention of waiting to accidentally run into her again in order to meet up with her. This time there wasn't even going to be a year between their meetings. No, Shunsui had decided he wanted Nanao as a permanent fixture in his life, and this time he wasn't about to leave their next meeting to fate.

It wasn't until Shunsui had left that Nanao noticed the neat stack of books on her coffee table. She frown slightly when she recognized them all as being ones that Shunsui had written. The first book in the stack, _Crossing Starry River_, seemed to have something stuck in between its pages. She flipped open the book to find a pretty carved hair comb sitting on top of the dedication page. Underneath the dedication in a messy tangle of handwriting it said: _Happy Birthday Nanao-chan! Thank you for a lovely evening and new insights once again_ –_Shunsui_. Feeling curious, she checked the other books. Each dedication page had been signed with a brief message to her from Shunsui. They ranged from silly to sweet, and Nanao was completely blown away by the last one scrawled in _Holding Fast_. It read: _Thank you, Nanao. I wouldn't have become the author I am with out you. There is a reason every single one of these books is dedicated to you, you know – Shunsui_.


	5. Summer Traditions

Author's Note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and in honor of Shunsui and Nanao's birthdays.

* * *

><p><strong>Summer Tradition<strong>

Laughing, Shunsui perched Kiyomi on his hip. He had offered to watch his goddaughter while Jyuu and Retsu finished getting ready. Retsu had been caught late at the hospital, and things had been a little crazy when she finally got home. Not that Shunsui minded too much. He could use a break from writing, and Nanao wouldn't be done with work for at least another hour. By then the Ukitake family would be off to the festival, and Shunsui would be able to enjoy the rest of the evening with his lovely fiancée.

In the two years since his last reunion with Nanao, things had changed once again in Shunsui's life. He had not immediately moved back to Kyoto after discovering that was where Nanao now lived, though that had been his first impulse. It was probably a good thing he hadn't. Nanao might have hurt him for that sort of presumption. But while he hadn't moved to the same city she was in, it was not long at all before Shunsui was making several trips a month to Kyoto to visit her. Those trips typically only lasted for a weekend or at most three days, but they were well worth it. Shunsui slept on Nanao's spare futon and often ended up cooking for her.

Those visits to Nanao's apartment had been oddly domestic at times. They were typically spent with Nanao doing homework and other household chores. Shunsui took care of most of the cooking, and there had been something very comfortable about cooking in her kitchen with Nanao just a few feet away. Sometimes they would conduct their separate tasks in silence while other times they would be carrying on a conversation. That was probably one of the best parts of visiting Nanao to his mind.

There was no one else like her when it came to inspiring him or figuring out a detail for his book. Not only did she seemed to have a vast array of encyclopedic knowledge (honestly, she was better than Wikipedia), but she had a very good grasp of what made for good storytelling and what didn't. While he never shared with her in great detail what was going on in his books (that was one of Shunsui's rules: no one got the full story until it the first draft was completely written), more than one she had saved him from making mistakes he would have to clean up in a rewrite or taking a story in the wrong direction. In fact, Shunsui attributed it to Nanao's presence in his life that he was now having two books published a year instead of just one.

_Storm Shelter_ had come out almost exactly six months after Nanao had reentered his life. It was also probably one of the quickest manuscripts he'd finished. In part that was due to the fact that Nanao had been uncomfortable spending time with him if it meant she was distracting him from his work. It had been a good incentive to get the manuscript finished. His editor had been absolutely delighted. Nanao had actually been irked at him when the book had come. Not seriously, but she had given him a hard time over its release date. He'd based _Storm Shelter _on the Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya, and apparently Nanao had been searching for other adaptations based on Japanese folklore for her book group, and _Storm Shelter _hadn't come out in time for her to work it in as she already had other books scheduled for the remaining three months of the group. Her internship had only been for one year.

Of course, that hadn't really slowed Nanao down. She really was an overachiever at times. When Nanao's internship had finished, she had thrown herself whole heartedly into the remainder of her studies. Shunsui filled the times when she was too immersed in her studies for anything else with writing and made sure that when he left her apartment her cupboards were always stocked with easy to fix meals and plenty of caffeine and sugar. So really it was no surprise that he had a second book come out late that summer. Of course, it did help that he had plenty of material to work with from ideas that had to be put on the back burner when he was working on _Holding Strong_.

It was a crazy summer when _Along the Shore_ came out. The story had been based on Rapunzel, and quickly became the blockbuster novel of the summer. Shunsui found himself being shuttled all over the country for signings, interview, and events while Nanao studied away. They kept in touch with phone calls, and Shunsui found himself thinking about the future. If Nanao had her way, she would be finished with school in another year, and Shunsui wasn't sure what they would do then. He did know that he wanted Nanao in his life. He also knew that if he proposed now, she would probably panic and run away from him. Nanao was cautious, especially when it came to her heart.

Shunsui was still rather surprised she had let him in as much as she had. But he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. However, he did manage to talk Nanao into coming to Hiroshima for a visit over her winter break that year. And by the time she went back to school after New Year's, Shunsui had come up with a plan. He had a novel that was released on Valentine's Day that year (and that was when his editor told him he should marry the girl if she made him write like that). For the most part, Shunsui quietly ignored _Hidden Pearl_'s success. The Cinderella story wasn't exactly the favorite thing he'd written, but he'd wanted to take a stab at rewriting Cinderella for years.

He had been more focused on getting the next manuscript done. He had some plans for it. Well, he had plans for its dedication. The story was pretty much already decided. He was basing it on The Goose Girl, and for the most part his main characters had been cooperative about playing the roles he had in mind for them. No, the important thing about this particular novel would be the dedication. Or at least the dedication in the first copy. Shunsui didn't think he wanted to share this with the public at large. That and Nanao would probably kill him if he did.

So when _Stolen Heart_ came out late that summer, there was only one copy printed with the complete dedication. Armed with that particular copy of _Stolen Heart_ inscribed with a very personal note and a delicate diamond ring, Shunsui had visited Nanao on the second day of her summer break. He knew better than to show up on the first day of her break; Nanao would be asleep then and very grumpy if awakened. The second day of the break was a much safer time to visit. As it turned out, it hadn't been hard to convince Nanao to let him take her out for lunch.

Shunsui had been nervous when he handed her the book.

"I didn't think this was out yet."

Shunsui shrugged. "It will be in stores tomorrow. That's your copy."

Nanao couldn't quite conceal her utter delight at the gift. Shunsui knew very well how Nanao got with a new book. He'd count himself lucky if she didn't skip the dedication page to dive straight into the story. But fate had once again been smiling on him that afternoon, for Nanao had opened the book to the dedication page and read what it said there. The message had been simple.

_I wouldn't be the storyteller I am without you, and I wouldn't be the man I am without you. You've inspired me for years, and now I don't what I'd do without you in my life. Will you marry me?_

Nanao had looked up at him with wide eyes and a tentative little smile curling around her lips. She had said yes.

"Uncle Shunsui," Kiyomi's voice pulled him from his memories. "I think you're supposed to turn the air conditioner on if you want it to work instead of just staring at it."

He laughed and tickled her. "Perhaps I was trying to develop psychic powers."

Kiyomi gave him a look that was the exact same one Retsu used anytime he and Jyuu had gotten themselves into questionable circumstances. Shunsui laughed and focused on the present instead of the past.

It was with a content sigh that Nanao left the library. She had been looking forward to tonight for quite a while. While she didn't really mind working on her birthday, she had to admit that she was very much looking forward to the celebrations that were taking place tonight. She had already changed from her work attire into a yukata as Shunsui would be picking her up here rather than meeting her back at their home. She smiled at that thought, though at times it was still strange to think of them sharing a home. Even if they were engaged.

Nanao had graduated with both her Bachelor's and her Master's degrees in March. By April, she'd been hired by the public library in Hiroshima. Nanao had been a little surprised by the almost immediate job offer, but she had taken it. She would have been a fool not to, and besides, it would have been her first choice of where to work anyway. It had not taken her long to get into the swing of things, and it had been easier to simply move into Shunsui's house than to spend the time and effort to find an apartment. Besides, she would have moved in with Shunsui in a few months anyway. Their wedding was scheduled for September.

Shunsui's proposal last summer had caught her off guard. She had realized that they were in a relationship, even if they had never directly framed it that way, and she knew that it was fairly serious on both sides. His presence in her life had made her happy in a way she had been before, and she would freely admit that he was often what kept her sane when the stress of school had gotten to her. But Nanao hadn't thought Shunsui had been thinking about the future. Still, when he had asked, she had known her answer immediately.

She glanced down at the ring on her finger. The white gold band held a diamond with just a blush of pink. Shunsui had made a lovely choice. Speaking of her fiancée, he should be arriving soon. Shunsui might have a tendency to be late, but he never missed important events.

"Nanao-chan?" She smiled as Shunsui appeared on the corner. He took in her appearance: hair in a loose tumble down her back and a indigo yukata patterned with stars. "You look beautiful."

She blushed. Shunsui leaned in to steal a kiss.

"Thank you."

"Ready to go?"

Nanao nodded. "Yes."

Attending the Tanabata festival together was tradition for them now. Nanao quite honestly didn't like a lot of fuss for her birthday. Having a festival take place on her birthday took care of that problem quite well. Shunsui would still insist on showering her with presents, but at least she didn't have to worry about people throwing parties for her. No, her friends and family knew that dropping off a present for her and well wishes for her birthday was fine, but if they wanted to find her on this night, she would be out at the festival.

Together, she and Shunsui wandered through the festival. They stopped at various booths, taking part in traditional games or doing a little shopping. Dinner was put together from the offerings of various booths as well. It was not the most healthy of meals, but these festivals always had some of Nanao's favorite foods, and it was a special night after all. Nanao nibbled at a skewer of yakitori as Shunsui parted the crowds of people to continue on their way. They visited one of the local shrines, so Nanao could buy a new omamori for the year as was her tradition, and as usual, Shunsui insisted that they both pick up omikuji as well. Nanao had laughed when he received a curse for traveling and pointed out it was a good thing he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. She happened to receive a small blessing for work.

Eventually though the couple wandered away from the throngs of people enjoying the celebrations. It was a beautiful night. There was no moon, but the stars were surprisingly bright despite the fact that they were in a city. The skies were clear without a single cloud, and while it was warm out, it wasn't the stifling heat that had gripped the city earlier in the week. Nanao was completely content to reserve the rest of the evening for just the two of them. Their topic of conversation varied throughout the night from wedding plans and Shunsui's new novel in progress (based on the myth of Hades and Persephone this time) to college stories and arguments over whose turn it was to deal with the dishes in the sink at home.

Shunsui tugged her down onto a bench overlooking the river. Nanao settled beside him, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Do you ever wonder what might have happened if we didn't meet that night?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Which night? There are several to choose from."

Shunsui laughed. "You do have a point. I was thinking of the first time we meet. The night at the Tanabata festival when you told me that the Orihime and Hikoboshi were too dumb for it to be true love."

She considered that for a moment. "Not really. I think about what might have happened if we didn't meet the night of Lisa's funeral."

He blinked at her. "Why?"

Nanao blushed under his gaze. "You took me seriously, and you didn't just smile and nod when I started talking about books. I'm not sure if I would have perused much of the library work, even the volunteering, if it hadn't been for that night."

Shunsui stole a kiss from her. "That's why I wonder about that first meeting of ours. If it hadn't been for that night, I probably would be a lawyer right now. It could have been interesting, but I think I like writing better. But I'm not sure I would have remembered how much I loved taking apart and putting together stories without meeting you that night. Besides, I'm not sure if I would have approached you at Lisa's funeral if I hadn't met you before."

She snuggled into his embrace. "Then it's probably a good thing that I didn't leave immediately or get a police officer when you started talking to me. I was considering it, you know."

Shunsui wore an expression of mock horror. "How could you do such a thing to your Shunsui?"

Nanao laughed. "You weren't my Shunsui then. I didn't even know your name."

His look turned thoughtful. "I think I was. Even if neither of knew it. I knew you were my muse after that second meeting. You have no idea how many times I imagined conversations with you in order to sort things out in my books. Of course, actually having conversations with you has turned out to be just as effective."

She smiled, and this time she was the one stealing a kiss. "You just love me for my brain."

"And your wit." Shunsui returned her kiss before pulling away. "And your smile, your eyes, your temper, your laughter, your-"

Nanao cut him off with another kiss, her hands sliding into his hair. One of his arms wrapped around her waist, and the next thing Nanao knew she was seated in his lap rather than beside him on the bench. When she finally pulled away from him, both of them were breathless. Nanao rest her head against his chest for a few moments, just enjoying his presence, before speaking again.

"I think I'm ready to go find some dessert. And then, unless you can think of something we forgot, we can meander our way home."

"Sounds like plan to me."

Hand in hand they wandered back towards the main section of the festival. Nanao wanted shaved ice and a few sticks of mitarashi dango for dessert. Then she was planning on going home and celebrating what was left of her birthday with her fiancé. A sudden thought occurred to Nanao, and she grinned up at Shunsui.

"Did I mention that I'm now on vacation until the day after your birthday?"

A delighted smile crossed his face. "No, I don't think you'd mentioned that before."

"Well, it's true. And no," she shot him an impish look, "that's not your birthday present this year. No, I'm not going to tell you what it is. You'll just have to wait four days and find out then."

Shunsui laughed and swooped down for another kiss. Nanao kissed him back. Completely happy, the two of them continued on into the night. The first time they had met had been beneath the stars on a summer night like this one. But this time they wouldn't be separated when the night ended. And while perhaps their story wasn't as dramatic as Orihime and Hikoboshi's, both Nanao and Shunsui agreed that their love story was better.


End file.
